Weft-detecting mechanism



E. H. RYON WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM June 19, 1928. 1,673,998

Original Filed May 2- 1 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mar-1394s WEFT DETECTINGMECHANISM Original Filed May 2. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 19,1928.

UNITED STATES 1,673,998 PATENT OFFICE.

EPPA H. RYON, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO OROMPTON &'KNOWLESLOOM WORKS, 011 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,-A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

WEFT-LDETEGTING MECHANISM.

Original application filed May 2, 1921, Serial No. 465.963, and 'nGre-atBritain mm 13, 1923. Divided i and this application filed July 2, 1926.Serial No. 120,212.

This is a divisional application, the original application having beenfiled May 2, 1921, Serial No. 465,963, and having issued as Patent No.1,595,249, dated August 10, 1.926. i

It is the general object of my present in vention to improve theconstruction and method of operation of such mechanism, to the end thatmore reliable and efiicient results may be obtained. With this object inview, one feature of my invention relates to the provision of detectingmechanism in which. the controlling member is normally inoperative butis placed in operative position upon substantial weft exhaustion andremains in such position for an unusually extended period of time.

A further object of my invention is to provide a weft detectingmechanism in p which the yielding movements of all parts are. controlledby a single spring.

My inventionfurt-her relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich Wlll be hereinafter described and more particu- 25, larl'y.pointed out inthe appended claims.

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawingsin which Fig. 1is a plan view of :my improveddetectingmechanism; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of the movable detecting member;

Fig. 4 is a corresponding view of the fixed detecting member Fig. 5 isan enlarged detail sectional view of. the fixed and movable detectingmembers; Figs. 6 and 7 arerdiagrammatic side and plan views showing theposition of certain parts after engagement by a full weft carrier' Figs.8 and 9 are similar views showing the normal position of these partsyandFigs. 10- and 11 are similar views showing the position of these partsafter engagement by a substantiall exhausted weft carrier.

Referring to tlie drawings, I have shown my improved detecting mechanismassociated withindicating apparatus of a well known type, more fullydisclosed in my prior Patent No. 972,722, issued October 11, 1910. a v

For the purposes of this application I have shown an actuator 20 havinga swinging verticahmovement in a slot2l formed in a promotion on a stand22 suitably supmember or rod 23 is slidablein an opening "in. the stand22 extending transversely across the slot 21. The rod 23 .is pivotallyconnected to an arm 24 fixed to the end of ported on the loom frame. Acontrolling a cross shaft 25 mounted in bearings in the stand 22. Aforked arm 26 is adjustably secured to the opposite end of the shaft 25and s formed with two projectingportions 27 and 28.

When the parts are in the normal position shown in Figs. 8 and 9, thecontrolling member or rod 23 is withdrawn from the slot 21, permittingthe actuator 20 to swing- ,idly in the slot without affecting theindiabove referred to.

weft carrier may be: of any suitable type .but as shown herein comprisea casing 30,

mounted on a stud 31(Fig. 2) fixed in the stand 22, and angularlyadjustable thereon by means-of a supporting screw 32 and lock nut 33. ip

. A box-like rectangular slide 34 is movabl mounted in the casing 30 andat its rear cut is formed with a plurality of toothed detecting surfaces35, 36 and 37, the teeth being preferably disposed in a'convex curve asshown in Fig. 1. The fixed detectors35 and 37 are preferably formeddirectly from the top and bottom portions of the slide 34, while theintermediate detecting surface 36 is formed as a separate plate36*fpositioned between the surfaces 35 and 37 by spacing blocks38.

A movable detecting member 39 is pivoted on aneccentric screw. or stud40 in the slide 34 and is preferably provided with two sets of weftengaging teeth 41 and 42, movable between the detecting surfaces 35, 3'6and 37. The detecting member 39 is formed as shownin Fig. 3 to permitthe teeth 41 and 42 to pass on each side of the metal plate 36. Thesides of the teeth 41 and 42 are preferably bevelled to prevent shearingaction with the fixed detecting members.

The parts which more directly engage the A rod 43 is slidable in theslide 3-l and at its rear or. right hand end is provided with a hook 44and :1 lug or projection l5 engaging opposite sides of an arm 46 on themovable detector 39. A lever 47 is pivoted on a stud or screw 48 at thefront end of the slide 34 and extends transversely across the slide,with its outer end engaging the projections 27 and 28 of the arm 26. Ascrew 49 isthreaded in a lug 50 depending from the rod 43 and forms anadjustable stop to limit rearward movement of the slide. A spring arm 51(Fig. 1) is rotatably mounted on a fixed stud 52 and is pressed againstthe lever 47 by a spring 53, one end of which engages the arm 51 and theother end of which is secured in an adjustable collar 54:. The forwardor left hand end of the sliding rodel3 is bent or doubled upon itselftoincrease the stiffness of the portion which is engaged by the lever47.

The method of operation of the detecting mechanism is indicated in Figs.7 to 11 inclusive. The normal position of the parts is shown in Figs. 8and 9 in which the spring arm 51 presses the rod 43 rearward until thestop screw 49 on the rod 43 en gages the front end of the casing 30. Thespring arm also acts through the pivot 48 to force the slide 3%rearward, swinging the movable detector 39 against the toothedintermediate plate 36 which acts as a stop to position the detector asshown in Fig. 9. At the same time, the forked arm 26 is moved by thelever 47 to the upright position shown in Fig. 8, with the controllingrod 23 withdrawn from the slot 21.

When the detectors are engaged by a weft carrier having a sufficientsupply of weft thereon. swinging movement of the movable detector 39 isprevented and the slide is moved directly back as shown in Fig. 7.

The lever 47 passes above the portion 28 of the arm 26 and retains therod 23 in inoperative position.

If, however, the detectors engage a substantially exhausted weftcarrier, the teeth of the fixed detecting members 35, 36 or 37 willengage the weft carrier, while the movable detector 39 is free to swingon its pivot,

as the teeth thereon are at a slightly less radius than the teeth of thefixed detecting members. The pivot 40 of the detector 39 is movedforward or to the left by the continued forward movement of the lay,while the end 46 of the detector 39 remains in substantially fixedposition. The pivot 48 of the lever 47 moves forward with-the pivot 40,both being mounted on the slide 34, and the lever 47 swings about theforward end of the rod 4-3 as a center. This results in a movementrearward or to the right in Fig. 11 for the outer swinging end of thelever 47 which, by engagement with the portion 27 of the arm 26, movesthe arm to the ponevaeos sition shown in Fig. 19 and advances the rod 23to operative position in the path of the actuator 20.

As the lay again moves rearward, the slide 3i and parts associatedtherewith re turn to the normal position shown in Fig. 9 with theexception that the arm 26 remains in the position shown in Fig. 10. Therod 23 is thus left in the path of the actuator until the next forwardmovement of the lay, when the arm restored to the original positionshown in Fig. 8, by engagement of the fixed detecting portions by theyarn on a well filled weft carrier.

The structure of the weft detector per se is not claimed herein butforms the present subject matter of the original application.

Having thus described my invention it will be evident that changes andmodifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art within thespirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not wishto be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what Iclaim is:-

1. \Veft detecting mechanism having, in combination, an actuator, acontrolling member normally withdrawn from the path of the actuator butmovable to render said actuator operative, and weft controlled means toposition said member. said means comprising a slide, a detector fixed tosaid slide, a detector pivoted to said slide, a lever pivoted to thefront end of said slide and extending tansversely thereof, said leverbeing movable relatively to said slide by said movablc'detector, and aconnection from said lever to said controlling member.

2. Weft detecting mechanism having, in combination, an actuator, acontrolling member normally withdrawn from the path of the actuator butmovable to render said actuator operative, and weft controlled means toposition said member, said means comprising aslide, a detector fixed tosaid slide, a detector pivoted to said slide, a lever pivoted to thefront end of said slide and extending transversely thereof, said leverbeing movable rcarwardly on said slide under the control of said movabledetector upon indication of weft exhaustion and a connection from saidlever to said controlling member.

lVeft detecting mechanism having, in combination, an actuator, acontrolling member normally withdrawn from the path of the actuator butmovable to render said actuator operative, and weft controlled means toposition said member, said means comprising a slide, a detector fixed tosaid slide, a detector pivoted to said slide, a rod connected to movewith said movable detector, a lever pivoted to the front end of saidslide and extending transversely thereof, said lever being engaged bysaid rod, a connection from said lever to said controlling member, and aspring arm yieldingly engaging said lever between its pivot and saidconnection.

l. Weft detecting mechanism having, in combination, an actuator, a.controlling member normally withdrawn from the path of the actuator butmovable to render said actuator operative, and weft controlled means toposition said member, said means comprising a cross shaft to which saidmembeer is connected, a forked arm on said shaft, a weft detector, aslide supporting said de tector, a lever pivoted on said slide andengaging the forked portion of said arm, and a yielding element engagingsaid lever bet-ween its pivot and point of engagement with said arm.

5. Weft detecting mechanism having, in combination, an actuator, acontrolling member normally withdrawn from the path of the actuator butmovable to render said actuator operative, Weft controlled means toposition said member, said means comprising a slide, a detector fixedthereon, a detector movably mounted thereon and yield ingly held innon-indicating position, and a connection and said controlling memberpermitting said member to move to ope 'ative position upon a side-wisemovement of said movable detector from normal non-indicating posibetweensaid movable detector tion to indicate weft exhaustion, said controllingmember being reset in inoperative position by subsequent forwardmovement of said slide with said movable detector in normal position andheld from angular movement thereon.

6. Weft detecting mechanism having, in combination, an actuator, acontrolling member normally withdrawn from the path of the actuator butmovable to render said actuator operative, Weft controlled means toposition said member, said means comprising a slide, a detector fixedthereon, a detector movably mounted thereon and yieldingly held innon-indicating position, and a connection between said movable detectorand said controlling member permitting said member to move to operativeposition upon sidewise movement of said movable detector from normalnon-indicating position to indicate Weft exhaustion, said memberremaining in operative position as said slide returns to its rearwardposition and being reset in inoperative position by subsequent forwardmovement of said slide with the movable detector in normal position andheld from angular movement thereon.

In testimony whereof I fixed my signature.

have hereunto af- EPPA H. RYON.

